Shiftable cowl fastener



July 31, 1945. F. E. JOHNSON 2,380,895

SHIFTABLE COWL FASTENER Filed Aug. 24, 1945 1f-ulg. z.

Patented July31, `i945 UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE. l I smrrlsnua'znrasmum l irma nrcan umu-can .nil l'aatener Mala im Mala.. a corporation of Munchen Application August 24, 1943, Serial No. 499,860

' 3 Claims. (Cl. 24-221) The present invention relates to improvements in rotary Operative type fastenezssuch as those employed for connectingaircraft cowllng sheets together and aims generally to improve existing fasteners of that type.

One of the main objects of the invention is th provision of an improved and simplified fastenerattaching means for attaching the female or socket fastener part to its support in a manner to permit shiftability of the fastener part relative toan aperture in the supportso asto be more readily aligned with the stud member mounted inthe part to be attached to thelllliliort.

Illustrative of the invention reference is madev to the accompanying drawing and annexed specification illustrating and describing two Apreferred embodiments of the invention.

In the drawing:

Fis'. l is a plan view of one type of female or socket fastener part used in connection with one formof improved attaching means according to the invention:

Fis. 2 is a transverse. central sectional view of a fastened installation according to Fig. 1 as taken ontheline2v-2 otFig.1: i

Fla. 3 is a longitudinal central sectional view thereof as taken onthe line 2-2 of Fis. l:

. of the femalel fastener I.

. extending wings I2 adapted to overlle the locking Fimiisaplanviewofoneformofattaching means according to the present invention;

Fls.5isanedsevlewthereof; Fis. 6 is a plan view of an alternative form of attaching meam:

Fig. 'I is a central sectional view thereofshovr-A ing the attaching means secured to a support; and

Fis. 8 is a section oi' the alternate form showing the socket member and attaching means as positioned on a support.

Referring more particularly to the drawing, the invention provides new and simplified means for shiftably attaching a female or socket fasten- .4o

er member to a suitable apertured support, such as an airplane cowling sheet, though it will be understood that the invention is 'susceptible of general application and is not restricted to such' use.

Rotary operative type fasteners such as those used for securing aircraft cowling sheets together usually include a female or socket fastener member I suitably attached lto ,one side of a support 2 formed with an aperture 2 therein end adapted to receive and interlock with a rotary male fastener member 4 rotatably mounted in a part I to besecuredtothellimortl. 'I'herotary male fastener element I preferably is formed with seat l, and provide stop and/or ejector means for the male element I. as disclosed inthe patent to William A, Bedford, Jr., No. 2,306,928, dated December 29, .1942. I

The invention provides an improved attaching plate for shlftably mounting the female or socket fastener member i and for attaching it to the support 2 overlying the aperture 2 thereof. Acf col-ding to the form of invention shown in Figs. 1 to 5, the attaching means comprises a substantially flat plate member I I which in the illustrated embodiment may be substantially rectangular in form and formed with a substantially rectangular aperture I2 therein of a size to loosely receive the portions of the female fastener part which extend outwardly from the base l, as for example the winss'll. The aperture I2 of theplate II is preferably substantially larger than the aperture 2 ofthesupport 2 andisalsolarserthantheoutwardly disposed locking seat 1 or the wings Il so that the latter may-be shlftable within the aperture I2. The plate II maybe securelyl attached to the support 2 by suitable means, as for example rivets II passing through apertures Il in theplate andsecuredinthe support 2.

-Advan the terminal ends I* (Figs. 1 and 3) of the bearing extensions l extend beyond the outer marginal edges of the plate Il and are turned upwardly to overlle por-tions of said marglnal edges so as to pre-assemble the attaching plate with the female fastener member and permit their-attachment to the support 2 as a unit. Inthis case the plate and socket are pre-assembled andrheat-treated afterlassembly.

As will be apparent from Fig. l, the female fas= A tener member l is retained in operative position relative to the support 2 by means of the marginal sides of the attaching plate I I which overlle bear ling extensions i of the female fastener. As the taching member and relative to the aperture 2 of lateral projections l, such as radial arms, adapted the support 2. This permits aquicker and more readyalignmentofthefemalememberwiththe malememberlasthepartslandlarebrought intojuxtopolodposition.

A slightly modified form of the invention is illustrat'edinll'igaand'l. Accordingtothis forni of the invention the attaching member may be in the form of an elongated strip il having a plurality of rivet holes il therein, which strip is adapted to be folded along a median line ll so as to provide wear plate portion Il and a super-- posed retainer plate portion Il. The wear plate portion Il is provided with an aperture Il adaptedtoaligncrsurroundtheaperturetofthesupport 2 to permit the passage of the male fastener element therethrough. The retainer plate portion I I may be provided with enlarged opening 2l, herein illustrated as rectang'ular in form and corresponding to the opening i! of the plate Il, to loosely receive the outwardly extending lockingseatlorwings ilofthefemalefastenerpart. Inthisconstructionthebearingextensionslof the female fastener part are loosely retained between the wear plate and the marginal sides of the retainer plate, the wear plate providing a smooth supporting surface for slidably support-A ingthebearingextensionslofthefemalefastener. Suitable fastening means, as for example rivets 22, may be passed through the aligned apertures is andthroughthesupportltosecure the attaching member to the support 'Advantages of the invention reside in the simplicity of the construction of the attaching plate which makes possible the ready assembly of the female or socket fastening member thereof and the removal of it therefrom prior to the attachment of the support. The socket member is thus shiftably attached to the attaching plate and may be laterally shifted relative to the aperture I of the support 2 to facilitate lining it up with the malev fastener element. Furthermore, the fastened installation may creep slightly due to the shiftable mounting of the socket member without tendency to cause relative rotation between the female or socket fastener member and the male fastener member 4 to unlocked position. y

Although I have illustrated and described preferred forms of my invention, I do not wish to be limited thereby because the scope of myinventionisbestdefinedbythefollowlngclaims.

I claim:

1. The combination of an apertured support. afemalefastenermemberwbeattachedtoone a,sso,sos l faceofsaldsupport including abasehaving lai:-`

eral bearing extensions disposed substantially in theplaneofthebaseandintermediatslaterally spaced portions extending. outwardly from the plane of the base and means for attaching said female fastener member to said base providing shiftability thereof relative to said support aper.

ture comprising a generally rectangular apertured attaching plate having portions overlying the bearing extensions of said fastener and loosely surrounding said outwardly extending portions thereof whereby the outwardly extending portion passes through the aperture in said attaching plaie and connections for securing said attaching plate to said support.

2. The combination of an apertured support. a female fastener member to be attached to one face of said support includin'g a base having lateral bearing extensions disposed substantially in the plane of the baseI and intermediate portions extending outwardly from the plane of the base. means for attaching said female fastener member to said base providing shiftability thereof relative tosaidsupportaperturecomprisingawearplaie having an apertured lportion substantially conforming to the aperture of said support. a re.

tainer member attached to one edge of and overlying said wear plate in spaced relation thereto and having an apertured portion loosely receiving said outwardly extending fastener portions and fastening means for securing said attaching means to said support.

- 3. The combination of an apertured support. a female fastener member to be attached to one face of said support including a base having lateral bearing extensions disposed substantially in the plane of the base and intermediate .portions extending outwardly from the plane of the base, means for attaching said female fastener member to said base providing shlftability thereof relative to said support aperture comprising a wear plate having an apertured portion substantially conforming to the apertme ofsaid support, a retainer member attached to one edge of and overlying said wear plate in spaced relation thereto and having an apertured portion loosely receiving said outwardly extending fastener portions and fastening means extending through said retainer member. wear plate and support for securing the parts together.

g FRANK E. JOHNSON. 

